Anticancer 2.0

Anticancer Praise

"Everybody should read this book and enact its simple but potentially lifesaving recommendations."
Jon Kabat-Zinn, professor of medicine emeritus, University of Massachusetts Medical School

"A mesmerizing, brilliant, astonishing, and well-documented journey detailing the extraordinary successes and remarkable failures of efforts to wrestle with cancer in the modern world"
Devra Davis, National Book Award finalist; author of The Secret History of the War on Cancer

"Anticancer is an absolutely indispensable guide for cancer survivors and anyone who wants to adopt healthy lifestyle habits in order to prevent cancer."
Dr. Richard Beliveau, author of Foods That Fight Cancer

"Anticancer is a passionate and thoughtful book. It speaks to both the heart and the head.....Read it and leap into a vibrant life with and against cancer"
David Spiegel, MD, Willson Professor and associate chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine

"A handy book to have around.... a common-sense blueprint for healthy living." The Chicago Tribune

"In presenting the science of cancer, Servan-Schreiber offers clear and vivid descriptions.... [And his] writing offers much more than science. It is full of passion for his topic and compassion for his patients"
The Seattle Times

"Anticancer is a passionate and thoughtful book. It speaks to both the heart and the head.....Read it and leap into a vibrant life with and against cancer"
David Spiegel, MD, Willson Professor and associate chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine

"I found Anticancer to be a highly readable and well-researched book. I recommend this book for anyone interested in preventive medicine and integrative, complementary approaches to patient care."
John Mendelsohn, President, MD Anderson Cancer Center

"In presenting the science of cancer, Servan-Schreiber offers clear and vivid descriptions.... [And his] writing offers much more than science. It is full of passion for his topic and compassion for his patients"
The Seattle Times

"Anticancer is a passionate and thoughtful book. It speaks to both the heart and the head.....Read it and leap into a vibrant life with and against cancer."
David Spiegel, MD, Willson Professor and associate chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine

“Destined to sell widely and will probably become a bible in homes.”
The New York Times

“Meticulously researched and easy to read… An absolutely indispensable guide for cancer survivors and anyone who wants to adopt healthy lifestyles in order to prevent cancer.”
Dr. Richard Béliveau, co-author of Foods That Fight Cancer

“[Dr. David Servan-Schreiber] has compiled [a range of measures] from the latest scientific evidence to help you beat cancer. This is... the book he wishes he had when he became ill.”
The Daily Telegraph (UK)

“Readable [and] thoroughly researched, Servan-Schreiber’s book is as uplifting as it is informative. Highly recommended.”
Library Journal

“If anyone has the cred, professional and street, to discuss cancer prevention and survival it is Servan-Schreiber. [Anticancer is] a valuable resource.”
Booklist (Starred review)

“There are three groups of people who should read this book:
* people who have cancer now;
* people who have had cancer in the past; and
* everyone else.”
Daily News Central

“[Anticancer] presents a compelling combination of one doctor’s story of his battle with cancer along with his research into how to fight the disease….Readable and moving”.
Body & Soul Magazine

Anticancer Action

Anticancer Rules

20 New Anticancer Rules

By Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, M.D., Ph.D.

Michael Pollan's recent little gem of a book "Food Rules" inspired me to compile my own "rules" about what I'd like every person to know about how they can help avoid cancer - or slow it down if they have it.

FOOD RULES

1. Go retro: Your main course should be 80 percent vegetables, 20 percent animal protein, like it was in the old days. Opt for the opposite of the quarter pounder topped with a token leaf of iceberg lettuce and an anemic tomato slice. Meat should be used sparingly for taste, as when it used to be scarce, and should not be the focus of the meal.

2. Mix and match your vegetables: Vary the vegetables you eat from one meal to the next, or mix them together -- broccoli is an effective anticancer food, and is even more effective when combined with tomato sauce, onions or garlic. Get in the habit of adding onions, garlic or leeks to all your dishes as you cook.

3. Go organic: Choose organic foods whenever possible, but remember it's always better to eat broccoli that's been exposed to pesticide than to not eat broccoli at all (the same applies to any other anticancer vegetable).

4. Spice it up: Add turmeric (with black pepper) when cooking (delicious in salad dressings!). This yellow spice is the most powerful natural anti-inflammatory agent. Remember to add Mediterranean herbs to your food: thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary, marjoram, mint, etc. They don't just add flavor, they can also help reduce the growth of cancer cells.

5. Skip the potato: Potatoes raise blood sugar, which can feed inflammation and cancer growth. They also contain high levels of pesticide residue (to the point that most potato farmers I know don't eat their own grown potatoes).

6. Go fish: Eat fish two or three times a week - sardines, mackerel, and anchovies have less mercury and PCBs than bigger fish like tuna. Avoid swordfish and shark, which the FDA says pregnant women should not eat because they contain a high concentration of contaminants.

7. Remember not all eggs are created equal: Choose only omega-3 eggs, or don't eat the yolks. Hens are now fed on mostly corn and soybeans, and their eggs contain 20 times more pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids than cell-growth regulating omega-3s.

8. Change your oil: Use only olive and canola oil in cooking and salad dressings. Go through your kitchen cabinets and throw out your soybean, corn and sunflower oils. (And no, you can't give them to your neighbors or your relatives... They're much too rich in omega-6 fatty acids!)

10. Keep sweets down to fruits: Cut down on sugar by avoiding sweetened sodas and fruit juices, and skipping dessert or replacing it with fruit (especially stone fruits and berries) after most meals. Read the labels carefully, and steer clear of products that list any type of sugar (including brown sugar, corn syrup, etc.) in the first three ingredients. If you have an incorrigible sweet tooth, try a few squares of dark chocolate containing more than 70% cocoa.

11. Go green: Instead of coffee or black tea, drink three cups of green tea per day. Use decaffeinated green tea if it gets you too wired. Regular consumption of green tea has been linked to a significant reduction in the risk for developing cancer.

12. Make room for exceptions. What matters is what you do on a daily basis, not the occasional treat.

NON-FOOD RULES

1. Get physical: Make time to exercise, be it walking, dancing or running. Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity at least 5 days a week. This can be as easy as just walking part of the way to the office, or the grocery store. A dog is often a better walking partner than an exercise buddy. Choose an activity you enjoy; if you're having fun, you're more likely to stick with it.

2. Let the sun shine in: Try to get at least 20 minutes of daily sun exposure (torso, arms and legs) without sunscreen, preferably at noon in the summer (but take care to avoid sunburns!). This will boost your body's natural production of Vitamin D. As an alternative: discuss the option of taking a Vitamin D3 supplement with your doctor.

3. Banish bad chemicals: Avoid exposure to common household contaminants. You should air our your dry-cleaning for two hours before storing or wearing it; use organic cleaning products (or wear gloves); don't heat liquids or food in hard plastics; avoid cosmetics with parabens and phthalates; don't use chemical pesticides in your house or garden; replace your scratched Teflon pans; filter your tap water (or used bottled water) if you live in a contaminated area; don't keep your cell phone close to you when it is turned on.

4. Reach out (and touch someone!): Reach out to at least two friends for support (logistical and emotional) during times of stress, even if it's through the internet. But if they're within arms reach, go ahead and hug them, often!

5. Remember to breathe: Learn a basic breathing relaxation technique to let out some steam whenever you start to feel stressed.

6. Get involved: Find out how you can best give something back to your local community, then give it.

7. Cultivate happiness like a garden: Make sure you do one thing you love for yourself on most days (it doesn't have to take long!).